I've never had so many reviews!!! Oh my goodness! I don't know what's
gotten into you people—suddenly, my inbox is full of feedback and
suggestions and....and....*Dies of happiness* Thanks, guys! We've got tons of
new readers, all my favorite oldies, and Moogle came back! Yay, girlie, I
was beginning to wonder if my late updates had bored you to death! Thanks
to everyone who reviewed—I'm trying to get this up as fast as possible. I
promise there'll be a formal personal thank you next chappie—for now, let's
just get on with it! You guys deserve it!
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It had only been three days since Kagome had left her friends forever, but it felt like an eternity. The sun was setting on that third day—evening was setting in eagerly, and she was stuck in the middle of unfamiliar forest, lost and confused and tired. She'd left her sleeping bag and knapsack back at camp, for fear of waking someone by rustling about, so there was no food, no water bottles, and no beddings to keep her comfortable. Ah, well. What was comfort, when her days were closing in on her by the minute? What was comfort, when all the people she cared about were far, far away?
I'm doing this for them, she kept reminding herself. They don't need anything more to worry about. I'm more a burden now then I ever was before.
And so she pushed herself forward—through the uncut, uncharted leaves and branches and mud puddles all over. The dirt beneath her feet was soft and squishy—sure enough to leave footprints. However, the trees were so thick in this place that the floor was only visible if you got down on your knees and looked. Who would be that scrutinizing, to get down and inspect the forest floor? The answer was simple. Her friends would. Despite her request, they were sure to come after her.
But they won't find me, she thought fervently. It'll be the last thing I ever do, but they won't find me.
By that time the last touches of orangey sunset had been squeezed from the sky, and all the heavens above were a beautiful navy-blue black. Kagome decided it was time to quit for the day—her friends were far enough behind, to be sure, and she would faint if she went any further then. Lying on a patch of dead leaves and grass, nestled between two trees, Kagome glanced skyward. The stars and moon twinkled down at her. It was hard to believe that those same things had looked at her every night, up until the fateful night she had left on this crazy venture.
Were her friends looking up at this same moon?
Kagome wondered.
'Inuyasha.....'
@-}--------------------------
Not quite so far away as Kagome had guessed, that same hanyou leapt on. He'd barely stopped for a full hour each day—guilt, anger, and pure stubbornness fueled the quicker-than-normal pace. Scarcely leaving footprints in the dirt at all, he darted from tree to tree, then to the ground, then up again. Always he was moving—sometimes aware of his movements, sometimes trusting his feet as he thought over everything and anything.
It made sense now. Kagome's out burst that last night.....she'd been fighting the desire to tell him. That had been what put the guilt in her eyes; that had been what'd made her seem so helpless, so lost, so scared. She'd clung to him, begging for protection, for a reason to stay, for comfort. He'd tried—but he'd had no idea that she was planning to run away. He'd had no idea that she was dying, even then.
He felt terrible, as if the whole ordeal was his fault. While he hadn't pushed her to leave, he HAD been so cruel with her, and that had made the goodbye even more difficult.
'If only I had known,' He thought bitterly, leaping over a boulder in his path. 'Kagome.....I would've.....I could've talked you out of leaving us! Whatever you were going through, we could've helped you....I could've helped you.....And now, I'm not even sure where you are.' There was no trace of the girl's scent anywhere around. The sun had finally dropped behind the hills off to the distance. 'Miroku and Sango'll be stopping to rest by now,' he thought to himself, glancing up at the moon above his head.
'Kagome....where are you?'
@-}------------------------
"Here's a good place, Sango-sama," Miroku called, stopping abruptly. Sango and Kirara jogged over from their place a few yards back, surveying the small clearing. Darkness was upon them; they would have to stop. Shippo was exhausted, and, though none would admit it, everyone else was, too. They'd been moving at Kirara's fastest jogging pace for three days, resting as little as they could get away with. It was taking its toll on everyone, but they were all determined to keep moving, for Kagome's sake.
"Sure," Sango answered Miroku's claim impassively, dropping her bundle onto the ground. Together they unrolled the simple beddings of cloth and laid the knapsack and things in the corner. Lying rather closer together than usual (and without a fire) everyone prepared to go to shallow sleep for a few hours' time.
Sango glanced up and looked silently around. Shippo was asleep against Kirara, and both were the perfect picture of peace. Miroku was sitting in his typical pose against a tree trunk, looking little drowsier than she felt. Quietly, as not to wake the sleepers, the demon exterminator crept across the small camp and took a seat beside Miroku, carefully avoiding his eyes and trying to ignore the blush that crept across her cheeks.
"So close?" Miroku questioned in a benignly amused tone, his eyes twinkling. Sango scoffed, aware that she was nearly the color of Inuyasha's haori. "Ah, it's all right, Sango. I don't intend on trying anything tonight." His face became suddenly serious, and the laughter died from his voice, to be replaced with a warm softness. "You've got enough to worry about."
It was true. There was much more on her mind at that moment than a single priest's lecherous habits. She found herself wishing that that certain priest would try some sort of comforting; but at the same time, she hoped he wouldn't, for a kind word could be enough to push her into tears. Sango stared at the sleeping bag that lay across camp, looking very wrinkled and forlorn without its owner.
"Two days," she said aloud involuntarily. Miroku glanced down at her inquisitively, his dark eyes softening as they met hers. "That's all the time Kagome's got left....maybe less....." Her voice wavered even as she tried to speak, to make some sturdy comment, to sound independent. Anything but the tearful, little girl she was voicing as. Since when had she been so vulnerable? Sango shifted uneasily, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. 'Now, no more of that. Nobody needs any tears right now.' Aloud, she cleared her throat and said, in a sturdier voice than before, "But we'll find her before it's too late."
"We will," Miroku agreed evenly. "Something tells me Kagome-sama did not truly wish to disappear forever."
"Of course not! She left to help us," Sango said wearily, "and I understand her reasoning, but that was stupid. We'd never want her to go away, especially in these circumstances." Miroku offered no other opinion, and so the two sat side by side in the darkness until sleep claimed them both.
@-}-----------------
Hey, everyone! I know it's short, but bear with me—I wanted to update. So many people asked me to..... And this way, there'll be one more chapter to add, right? Yay! So, tell me guys—what do you WANT to happen? Leave your ideas/suggestions/comments in the review and I'll take them into consideration! Luv ya! Until next time!
^_^----^_^----^_^----^_^----^_^----^_^----^_^----^_^
It had only been three days since Kagome had left her friends forever, but it felt like an eternity. The sun was setting on that third day—evening was setting in eagerly, and she was stuck in the middle of unfamiliar forest, lost and confused and tired. She'd left her sleeping bag and knapsack back at camp, for fear of waking someone by rustling about, so there was no food, no water bottles, and no beddings to keep her comfortable. Ah, well. What was comfort, when her days were closing in on her by the minute? What was comfort, when all the people she cared about were far, far away?
I'm doing this for them, she kept reminding herself. They don't need anything more to worry about. I'm more a burden now then I ever was before.
And so she pushed herself forward—through the uncut, uncharted leaves and branches and mud puddles all over. The dirt beneath her feet was soft and squishy—sure enough to leave footprints. However, the trees were so thick in this place that the floor was only visible if you got down on your knees and looked. Who would be that scrutinizing, to get down and inspect the forest floor? The answer was simple. Her friends would. Despite her request, they were sure to come after her.
But they won't find me, she thought fervently. It'll be the last thing I ever do, but they won't find me.
By that time the last touches of orangey sunset had been squeezed from the sky, and all the heavens above were a beautiful navy-blue black. Kagome decided it was time to quit for the day—her friends were far enough behind, to be sure, and she would faint if she went any further then. Lying on a patch of dead leaves and grass, nestled between two trees, Kagome glanced skyward. The stars and moon twinkled down at her. It was hard to believe that those same things had looked at her every night, up until the fateful night she had left on this crazy venture.
Were her friends looking up at this same moon?
Kagome wondered.
'Inuyasha.....'
@-}--------------------------
Not quite so far away as Kagome had guessed, that same hanyou leapt on. He'd barely stopped for a full hour each day—guilt, anger, and pure stubbornness fueled the quicker-than-normal pace. Scarcely leaving footprints in the dirt at all, he darted from tree to tree, then to the ground, then up again. Always he was moving—sometimes aware of his movements, sometimes trusting his feet as he thought over everything and anything.
It made sense now. Kagome's out burst that last night.....she'd been fighting the desire to tell him. That had been what put the guilt in her eyes; that had been what'd made her seem so helpless, so lost, so scared. She'd clung to him, begging for protection, for a reason to stay, for comfort. He'd tried—but he'd had no idea that she was planning to run away. He'd had no idea that she was dying, even then.
He felt terrible, as if the whole ordeal was his fault. While he hadn't pushed her to leave, he HAD been so cruel with her, and that had made the goodbye even more difficult.
'If only I had known,' He thought bitterly, leaping over a boulder in his path. 'Kagome.....I would've.....I could've talked you out of leaving us! Whatever you were going through, we could've helped you....I could've helped you.....And now, I'm not even sure where you are.' There was no trace of the girl's scent anywhere around. The sun had finally dropped behind the hills off to the distance. 'Miroku and Sango'll be stopping to rest by now,' he thought to himself, glancing up at the moon above his head.
'Kagome....where are you?'
@-}------------------------
"Here's a good place, Sango-sama," Miroku called, stopping abruptly. Sango and Kirara jogged over from their place a few yards back, surveying the small clearing. Darkness was upon them; they would have to stop. Shippo was exhausted, and, though none would admit it, everyone else was, too. They'd been moving at Kirara's fastest jogging pace for three days, resting as little as they could get away with. It was taking its toll on everyone, but they were all determined to keep moving, for Kagome's sake.
"Sure," Sango answered Miroku's claim impassively, dropping her bundle onto the ground. Together they unrolled the simple beddings of cloth and laid the knapsack and things in the corner. Lying rather closer together than usual (and without a fire) everyone prepared to go to shallow sleep for a few hours' time.
Sango glanced up and looked silently around. Shippo was asleep against Kirara, and both were the perfect picture of peace. Miroku was sitting in his typical pose against a tree trunk, looking little drowsier than she felt. Quietly, as not to wake the sleepers, the demon exterminator crept across the small camp and took a seat beside Miroku, carefully avoiding his eyes and trying to ignore the blush that crept across her cheeks.
"So close?" Miroku questioned in a benignly amused tone, his eyes twinkling. Sango scoffed, aware that she was nearly the color of Inuyasha's haori. "Ah, it's all right, Sango. I don't intend on trying anything tonight." His face became suddenly serious, and the laughter died from his voice, to be replaced with a warm softness. "You've got enough to worry about."
It was true. There was much more on her mind at that moment than a single priest's lecherous habits. She found herself wishing that that certain priest would try some sort of comforting; but at the same time, she hoped he wouldn't, for a kind word could be enough to push her into tears. Sango stared at the sleeping bag that lay across camp, looking very wrinkled and forlorn without its owner.
"Two days," she said aloud involuntarily. Miroku glanced down at her inquisitively, his dark eyes softening as they met hers. "That's all the time Kagome's got left....maybe less....." Her voice wavered even as she tried to speak, to make some sturdy comment, to sound independent. Anything but the tearful, little girl she was voicing as. Since when had she been so vulnerable? Sango shifted uneasily, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. 'Now, no more of that. Nobody needs any tears right now.' Aloud, she cleared her throat and said, in a sturdier voice than before, "But we'll find her before it's too late."
"We will," Miroku agreed evenly. "Something tells me Kagome-sama did not truly wish to disappear forever."
"Of course not! She left to help us," Sango said wearily, "and I understand her reasoning, but that was stupid. We'd never want her to go away, especially in these circumstances." Miroku offered no other opinion, and so the two sat side by side in the darkness until sleep claimed them both.
@-}-----------------
Hey, everyone! I know it's short, but bear with me—I wanted to update. So many people asked me to..... And this way, there'll be one more chapter to add, right? Yay! So, tell me guys—what do you WANT to happen? Leave your ideas/suggestions/comments in the review and I'll take them into consideration! Luv ya! Until next time!